Part 19 – October 16th, 2020 through December 31st, 2020

Guinness World Record blog banner

Originally posted: October 28th, 2020

GGPoker Breaks Online Poker GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title

The World Series of Poker Online $5,000 Main Event hosted at GGPoker generates largest prize pool for an online poker tournament

GGPoker today announces it has broken the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest prize pool for an online poker tournament with a $27,559,500 prize pool in World Series of Poker Online Event 77: $5,000 Main Event at GGPoker on September 6, 2020.

Take a look at the moment Michael Empric, Official Adjudicator for Guinness World Records informed GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu that the record was verified and in the books: https://gg.gl/world_record

The $5,000 Main Event was the marquee tournament of the 54-gold bracelet event World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online 2020 Series at GGPoker. Bulgaria’s Stoyan Madanzhiev defeated the 5,802-player field to earn the $3,904,685 top payout and his first World Series of Poker bracelet. Madanzhiev’s prize was the largest individual prize ever awarded in an online poker tournament.

The record $27,559,500 prize pool was shared among the top 728 finishers in the tournament. Each prize winner earned a minimum $11,834 payout.

“This Guinness World Records title was on our radar from the very beginning,” said Steve Preiss, Head of Poker Operations at GGPoker. “Players and fans of poker expect nothing less than record-breaking prizes when it comes to the World Series of Poker, and GGPoker delivered.”

QUALIFY FOR THE WSOP

The Main Event lasted 150 hours, 9 minutes and 13 seconds from the start of the first starting flight to the end of the last hand. Surviving players from all Day 1 starting flights combined for Day 2 of the tournament on August 30, during which the field shrunk from 1,171 players to just 38. A week later, the final 38 players battled it out over a long Day 3 until Madanzhiev won the final hand of the tournament and claimed the winner’s share of the record-breaking prize pool.

“Breaking a Guinness World Records title shows what happens when you combine GGPoker’s amazing platform with the World Series of Poker brand,” said Ty Stewart, WSOP Director. “This will be a tough record to beat.”

New GGPoker players are eligible to claim the poker room’s Welcome Bonus, earn even more rewards with the Honeymoon for Newcomers promotion and automatically join GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program, with regular cash prizes on offer.

GGPoker Battle of Malta blog banner

Originally posted: October 29th, 2020

Over $30M Guaranteed In Battle of Malta 2020

Battle of Malta 2020 hosted at GGPoker from November 1 through November 22

GGPoker and Casino Malta by Olympic Casino today reveal the full schedule for the Battle of Malta 2020 festival, which takes place on the global-facing poker network from November 1 through November 22. Over $30,000,000 in cash prizes will be won during the series.

Fifteen series tournaments will award a unique Battle of Malta Winner’s Ring in addition to cash prizes. The ring events are headlined by a $3 million-guaranteed Battle of Malta $550 Main Event, which features multiple Day 1 flights running from November 8. Other highlights include:

Battle of Malta Event #6: High Roller Championship $5,250 – $2,000,000 guaranteed
Battle of Malta Event #7: Siege of Malta $215 (multiple Day 1 flights) – $2,000,000 guaranteed
Battle of Malta Event #11: Mini Main Event $55 (multiple Day 1 flights) – $1,000,000 guaranteed

Satellite tournaments into Battle of Malta events run at GGPoker, with buy-ins starting from $0.55.

Additionally, a Player of the Series leaderboard will award over €50,000 in Battle of Malta 2021 live packages to the top 50 players across the full series. The Battle of Malta is planned to return to a live venue in Malta in October 2021.

“With over $30 million to play for, this year’s Battle of Malta will be just as attractive to poker players as previous year’s live festivals,” said John Scanlon, Director of Live Events & Sponsorships at GGPoker. “We hope that everyone who planned to play poker in Malta this year will be able to take part, and can’t wait to see who will be crowned this year’s Main Event champion!”

“Due to the current situation, Casino Malta was ecstatic to be able to find a solution for this year’s Battle of Malta by partnering with such a prestigious brand as GGPoker”, said Slawomir Switalski, General Manager of Casino Malta. “With the help of this grand festival, our tiny, beautiful island of Malta will be showcased to a broader audience all around the world and we will be excited to invite everyone to our next live event in October 2021.”

The much-anticipated festival was initially scheduled to return to Malta in live form but was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Designed for low- to mid-stakes poker players, the Battle of Malta is one of Europe’s biggest poker events and one synonymous with fun and the lighter side of the world’s favorite card game.

New GGPoker players are eligible to claim the poker room’s Welcome Bonus, earn even more rewards with the Honeymoon for Newcomers promotion and automatically join GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program, with regular cash prizes on offer.

For full details on Battle of Malta 2020, please visit: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/

HRW blog banner

Originally posted: November 6th, 2020

High Rollers Week Returns To GGPoker With $22M Guaranteed

Twenty-event series runs from November 8 through November 15

GGPoker today announces the latest iteration of its High Rollers Week series, a one-week festival which takes place on the global-facing poker network from November 8 through November 15. Over $22,000,000 in guaranteed cash prizes will be won across twenty High Rollers tournaments.

Seven High Rollers Week events guarantee more than $1 million in prize money, with the Main Event boasting at least $5,000,000 in prizes:

November 8 – HRW #1: GGMasters High Rollers $1,050 – $1,500,000 guaranteed
November 8 – HRW #2: Super MILLION$ $10,300 (two-day event) – $3,000,000 guaranteed
November 8 – HRW #3: PLO High Roller $10,300 – $1,000,000 guaranteed
November 10 – HRW #7: NLHE High Roller $10,300 – $1,250,000 guaranteed
November 12 – HRW #11: NLHE Super High Roller $25,000 – $2,500,0000 guaranteed
November 15 – HRW #17: GGMasters High Rollers $1,050 – $1,000,000 guaranteed
November 15 – HRW #18: Super MILLION$ Main Event $10,300 (two-day event) – $5,000,000 guaranteed

High Rollers Week runs simultaneously with the Battle of Malta 2020 festival, which is hosted at GGPoker through November 22 and features over $30 million in guaranteed prizes.

“GGPoker is online poker’s true home for high-roller tournaments and massive prize pools – and we’ve got the Guinness World Record to prove it!” said Paul Burke, spokesman for GGPoker. “We’re looking forward to seeing the world’s top tournament players go for glory during High Rollers Week.”

New GGPoker players are eligible to claim the poker room’s Welcome Bonus, earn even more rewards with the Honeymoon for Newcomers promotion and automatically join GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program, with regular cash prizes on offer.

For full details on High Rollers Week, please visit: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/high-rollers/

WSOP ME blog banner

Originally posted: November 13th, 2020

World Series of Poker® Main Event® to Return at GGPoker

Main Event to Begin Online, Live Finale will crown a “World Champion” of Poker for the 51st Consecutive Year

$1 Million “Winner Take All” Prize Money will pit Domestic vs. International Champions for the Title and the Bracelet

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) and GGPoker today announced plans to host 2020’s hybrid online and live version of the $10,000 No-Limit Hold-Em World Championship, known better to poker players and fans as the Main Event. The Main Event will begin for international players on Sunday, Nov. 29 and domestically for US players on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Due to travel restrictions and out of an abundance of caution for player safety, this year’s format will be unique, where early round play will begin online with one entry on WSOP.com or GGPoker.com, before shifting to a live setting for final table action on two continents. Each “bracket” will pay out prize money to tournament entrants independently. The final table will be a world’s first, as an ultimate heads-up duel for the World Championship, where $1 million in prize money will be on the line courtesy of Caesars Entertainment, Inc. and GGPoker. The Main Event will be held consistent to the traditional “freeze-out” standards of the Main Event, offering only single entry, as well as the longest levels and deepest stacks ever offered on the online platform.

All in-person tournaments, domestic US and international, will be subject to special COVID rules and procedures, the details of which will be published at a later date and will require players to undergo a required health screening prior to live participation. All participants must agree to abide by all applicable rules.

U.S. residents will be able to play the Main Event on the WSOP.com platform in either New Jersey or Nevada beginning on Sunday, Dec. 13. The $10,000 event is expected to take two full days to reach the final table, with play being suspended for an overnight break after approximately 12 hours of action. The tournament will be paused when play hits the final table, with the final nine players traveling to Las Vegas for the TV taping and culmination of the tournament to take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, subject to applicable regulatory approval.

Dates for Domestic US Tournament:

Day 1 – Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020
Day 2 – Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, Play down to 9 players
Final Table – Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Monday, Dec. 28, Play continues to a winner; prize monies paid

International residents eligible to use GGPoker’s popular online poker platform will have three dates from which to choose their starting flight. Similar to the traditional offline events, players may only choose one date of play. Similar to the domestic flight, and subject to casino availability, play will be paused for the final nine contestants who will report to King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic to play their final table in a live TV taping. Should travel restrictions or a casino shutdown prevent the live portion from moving forward in December, organizers reserve the right to continue the tournament play online or reschedule to a later date.

Dates for International Tournament:

Day 1A – Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020
Day1B – Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020
Day 1C – Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020
Day 2, Play down to 9 players, Monday, Dec. 7
Final Table – *King’s Casino, Tuesday, Dec.15, Play down to a winner

*Subject to local regulatory approval

Finally, the winner of the Domestic US Tournament and the winner of the International Tournament will meet at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, subject to applicable regulatory approval, for a televised showdown on Wednesday, Dec.30, 2020. In addition to any prize monies won by entrants in their respective tournament, WSOP and GGPoker have committed an additional sum of $1 million to the winner of the Heads-Up match along with the Main Event championship bracelet and the title of 2020 World Champion. *Note, should the international winner be under the age of 21 and thereby ineligible to play in the state of Nevada, organizers reserve the right to change the date and location of the Heads-Up match.

Heads-Up Championship of Domestic Winner vs International Winner:

Wednesday, Dec. 30
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas*

A comprehensive list of satellite events allowing qualification for as little $1 will be available on both WSOP.com and GGPoker.com.

To welcome visiting players, Caesars Entertainment will offer special Main Event room rates at several resorts in Nevada and New Jersey. Additionally, new options to deposit money into a WSOP.com account and cash out in person will be available for the first time at Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, NV. For more information about special hotel rates, and cash at the cage locations, visit wsop.com.

Note, players are allowed to create and/or fund their online poker accounts prior to arriving within the state borders of Nevada and New Jersey. However, they must be geolocated through a CPU of mobile device to be within the state borders to be able to commence any gaming activity. New players may require document verification and are highly encouraged to register early.

As has been the case each year since 2003, ESPN will air coverage of the 2020 WSOP Main Event featuring Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.

“There must be a World Champion in 2020,” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker. “Poker’s history is too important. It’s a unique format for the Main Event, but this is a unique year. We want to keep players’ health and safety top of mind and still deliver a great televised showcase for the game we love.”

Added GGPoker Head of Poker Operations Steve Preiss, “We’re very happy to continue to deepen our relationship with WSOP. It was a huge summer of record-setting action at GGPoker and we’re excited to offer players access to the biggest tournament of all.”

Part 18 – Aug. 1st, 2020 to Oct. 15th, 2020 Part 20 – Jan. 1st, 2021 to April 15th, 2021

Whether you’re a fan of high-stakes cash games or the excitement of multi-table poker tournaments, GGPoker is the premier destination for poker enthusiasts. For those aiming to compete for a prestigious WSOP bracelet, push through the ranks for a WSOP Circuit ring, or simply hone their strategies in classic games or poker formats, GGPoker has something for everyone. The platform offers a seamless online poker experience, with innovative features like Smart HUD, PokerCraft, and integrated staking, designed to elevate your game. Whether you’re grinding your way up in daily cash games or competing for life-changing prizes in major online series, GGPoker provides the best environment to play, improve your poker skills, and succeed in the world of online poker. And if you are not sure where to start, you can always play free poker games and learn at the GGPoker School.

GGPOKER

Blog

NSUS Group Agrees To Acquire World Series of Poker®

Jason Clarke wins 30 Years of WSOP Entries | WSOPE 2023 Schedule

The Archives Of The GGPoker Blog – Part 19